Mixing Classic with Modern Art- Four Finalists Exhibiton @ Juniper Hall Review

Classic and modern art are living in fusion at Juniper Hall this week for the Four Finalists Exhibition currently showing for the Moran Arts Foundation. The exhibition is a showcase of four artists whom were apart of the 2015 Doug Moran National Portrait Prize. Guy Morgan, Darren McDonald, Andrew Bonneau and 2015 Winner Warren Crossett have presented a collection of their best works that are so brilliant and different that it is easy to see how they were picked for the exhibition. I had the privilege of attending the exhibition to see just a sample of the magnificent art that competed for the coveted prize.

When first entering Juniper Hall, I feel I naturally move towards the left of the hall. In the first two rooms, artist Andrew Bonneau has a display of 23 works hanging for his entry into the Four Finalists. Bonneau is no newbie on the art scene; in fact he has been selected as a finalist for a number of different art shows, including the Stanthorpe Art Prize and the Black Swan Portrait Prize.

I discovered Bonneau’s artwork to be incredibly striking and intricate, with such attention to detail that it almost feels like a photo. There was not a brush stroke out of place, everything was so naturally structured. I found the portraits to be a little stoic, but in a very intense way. This stoicism juxtaposed very vividly against the brighter coloured paintings and softened the vibe making it very interesting. His presentation of the human form also felt really realistic and beautiful, especially in his nude paintings.

I loved the way the exhibition broke up the different artists as you move through the rooms. Following through into the back area, I came across a very brightly lit room (that had a little help from the afternoon sun) that had the smile inducing artwork of Guy Morgan. While moved by Bonneau’s intricacy and structure, I felt I was livened by the works of Morgan.

Guy Morgan’s paintings are particularly interesting due to his personal struggles with his sight. A few years ago, Morgan suffered a retinal detachment that left him with permanently distorted vision in his left eye in late 2011. “There are no straight lines or round circles when viewing with my left eye,” he said. “Over the last four years, there have been slight changes in my sight”. His focus in his painting is to identify the subjects of his works without having a clear image of that subject.

Picking favourites in an art competition can be tricky, but the work of Guy Morgan was particularly special. His portraits felt zany and cheeky, with a hint of whimsy. I loved the colour work, particularly “Blue Boy at 59” that had a block of colour that was ultra modern and painstakingly detailed.

A few of the paintings almost had a stencil theme to them, like the faces were placed on the canvas with a stencil. It shows how much effort Morgan put into making his artwork very unique and his style.

Morgan also contrasted his colours against black and white very well. Some paintings were tonal while next to them were paintings of vibrant colour and mirth. It was such a fun part of the exhibition.

When moving onto the Warren Crossett paintings, it was easy to see why he was a winner. His attention to detail was superb and flowing, with such delicate and petite paintings that were reminiscent of being at my grandmothers house. They were pretty and hyper-realistic and they looked like they belong in a warmly lit room.

Crossett has always had a fondness for art, beginning at a young age. That love progressed into a very successful career working as an illustrator for prominent companies such as Cadbury, Honda, Seven Eleven USA and Penfolds Wine, among many more.

What makes him a real talent is the fact that he is mainly self taught, with his technique and flow being developed while he worked for those major companies. The fact that he won the Moran Prize was a huge development in his work.

“Winning the Moran Prize has launched my career into the art world where Illustration will be a thing of the past for me,” he commented.

The next artist was a little different and surprising. This was the painting that welcomed me to the Darren McDonald section of the exhibition:

My initial reaction was, “Oh my gosh, someone has painted my old budgie Basil!” and I had a little bit of a chuckle. This immediately made me feel fun and vibrant, which is exactly what all of McDonald’s paintings are.

The paintings at first glance seem very childlike and simplistic, but upon closer inspection, they are a whole other level of sophistication and complexity. The flow of the lines are very textured and free flowing. It would be incorrect to assume that the paintings are simplistic. There is a sense of urgency in the distorted faces of the subjects, it is so intriguing.

When looking at the career that is Darren McDonald, it is extensive and profound. He has found real fame in his enormous talent.

The Moran Arts Foundation have a knack for finding such artworks that resonate with the Sydney public and evoke a lot of feelings when viewing them. Juniper Hall is such a fine establishment to make those works really shine over all the simplicity of the exhibition area. It is such a show that shouldn’t be missed, especially if you missed out on the Moran Prizes last year.

The showing is on until April 10th. Entry is a $5 donation to the Moran Foundation. For more information, please head to the Juniper Hall website.